Put on a special face…

In today’s edition of the Jack’s Winning Words blog there is this little quote – “Without wearing any mask that we’re conscious of, we have a special face for each friend.” (Oliver Wendell Holmes)

Jack went on to write – I’ve read, “A friend is someone who knows all about you and still likes you.” Come to think about it, God is like that!

We tend to use the word friend a bit loosely these days; maybe it’s because of Facebook and the requests that we make for someone to “Friend me”. I don’t think we really put on a special face for each of the people on our “friends” list on Facebook. Those special faces are reserved for people with whom we have a real friendship, such as that described by Aristotle – “Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.”

Today we might classify those people as or BFF’s. Do you have friends like Aristotle described; those with whom you share such a bond that it’s like your two bodies share one soul?

We sometimes use the term soul-mate to describe those with whom we share our lives and; indeed, for most those are their best friends as well as being a spouse or partner in life. Marriages (partnerships) that last a lifetime have that longevity because of that ability to share your soul.

There was a term coined for the phenomenon that Oliver Wendell Homes was describing – his/her face lit up when he/she saw her friend. It’s that joy of the shared soul of the friendship that shines through in that moment and becomes the special face that we have for each true friend. For most of us that manifests itself as a smile. It’s an uncontrived and spontaneous display on our faces of the love that we have for that friend.

In church services there is an oft-used line from Number 6:24-26, “may God’s face shine upon you.” Perhaps that is what Jack meant when he wrote “God is like that”. When God is your friend, He shares his soul in our bodies and it shines through on our faces. If that doesn’t put a smile on your face, nothing will.

So, put on a special face. God is sharing his soul in your body and that is something to
smile about. How can you not have a great day? Let’s God’s soul that dwells within you shine through on your face.